Ask The Readers: Should Kids Get Paid For Doing Chores?

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Editor's Note: Congratulations to Staycee, TrishB, and Julie for winning this week's contest! 

Simple chores like doing dishes and taking out the trash can teach kids invaluable life lessons. While most parents agree on the value of chores, they are somewhat divided on whether kids should be paid for helping around the house.

Do you think kids should be paid for doing household chores? Is it a good way to teach kids the value of work? Or are you bribing kids to pull their own weight? What did your parents do?

Share your opinion, and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of Blacklisted from the PTA.

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We're doing three giveaways — one for random comments, one for random Facebook "Likes," and another one for random tweets.

The three winners will each get a $20 Amazon Gift Card and their very own copy of Blacklisted from the PTA.

Extra Prize This Week: Black Listed from the PTA

Blacklisted from the PTA is an exciting new book by Lela Davidson, the editor of our sister blog Parenting Squad. Filled with hilarious and irreverent stories of motherhood, the book is a great read for any parent looking for a belly laugh and sanity. It is already getting rave reviews!

Blacklisted from the PTA is a hilarious and honest take on motherhood. With her laugh out loud funny writing style and her laser focus attention to detail, Davidson will crack moms up and make them say, “Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking. A truly entertaining read for any exhausted mom or mom-to-be.” Kelly Wallace, Chief Correspondent, iVillage/NBC Universal

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Guest's picture
Alex

I think my children will have a chart that will enumerate how much they can expect in their weekly allowance for different chores. So, yes, but some chores more than others.

Guest's picture

We don't have children yet, but we will very soon. I think it's important to have specific chores that they are expected to do and extra chores that will earn them money.

Guest's picture
Rebekah

I will only pay my child for extra chores beyond the usually weekly ones. I don't want him to think that every time he does something that helps our family, he should get paid for it.

Guest's picture
Kristine

My son has an allowance that is linked to 5 daily chores. When these are not done to our satisfaction then he does not receive the allowance. It puts the onus on him to be more responsible if he wants to save or buy something at the store.

Guest's picture
Gin

I don't pay for chores. I expect my children to help out around the house for the good of the household, not for monetary compensation.
That said, I feel like they should do *something* for their pocket money... their allowance shouldn't be "free money", so we do have some chores tied to dollar values.

Guest's picture
mdsj

I think paying kids for chores outside of cleaning their bedroom and bathroom is a good idea. It gives them an understanding that hard work should equate to pay in the real world. As part of the allowance though, you should also make your kids get a bank account and put a portion of that money in the account to help them start making good money decisions.

Guest's picture
Angela

I don't think so. I think that chores are just something that everyone does. It is part of being in a family.

Guest's picture
vivian

no- they should learn that it is something they should do regardless of pay. otherwise they will expect money for good grades, good behavior, and common daily activities!

Guest's picture

Yes, Kids should a part in household chores specially now that most of their time is being spent in playing online games etc..

Guest's picture
Nicole Grove

I sort of think this goes both ways in our house. There are certain chores we expect our kids to do just because they're a part of our family, but then again there are certain chores that are out of the normal day to day house running that we do give them an allowance for.

Guest's picture
Lela

I am LOVING all these suggestions! Thank you :)
Lela

Guest's picture
Teresa Jones

I don't think kids should be paid...they should help as an able member of the family. I don't want my kids to learn that everything they do has monetary reward.

Guest's picture
Kurt

I give my daughter an allowance so she can learn how to use money, but I also want her to understand that money is not free. You have to work for it.

I reduce my daughter's allowance when she doesn't do her chores. I reduce her monthly allowance by 20% if she hasn't completed her chores between Friday and Tuesday.

Guest's picture
LectorEl

Let me put it this way: I'm young enough that I remember me and my brother's childhood. The only way my parents got us to do chores was with cash. Kids are perfectly willing to be stubborn as all hell to make a point, and our point was 'we're broke, pay us'. Theory's all well and good, but application can be more trouble than it's worth.

Besides, kids want things like anybody else. Do you really want to see their alternative strategies for getting the money to pay for them?

Guest's picture
Rebecca R.

I think that every child should have 2 or 3 chores that are required of them to do as a part of the family, without pay. Other than that, for any of their "wants" they should have chores that they can choose to do for money. With this money that they earn, there should be budgeting rules attached to it--with 10% saved (which they can spend once they get up to a certain amount), and 10% given to charity or church. The rest they can spend on what they want. All basic "needs" should be supplied by mom and dad, "upgrades" in clothing or shoes should be paid for by the kids. All toys, entertainment, special food, etc. has to be paid for by the kids. Only $100-$150 should be spent each time at back-to-school time, birthday, and Christmas. "Need" buying could also be at growth spurts, total wearing out of items and for special events--for example, a communion outfit, sporting equipment, etc.

Guest's picture
Julie

I wanted my son to feel he was an important contributing member of a loving family. He had age appropriate chores as soon as he was toddling. But his allowance was not attached to chores as they were done no matter what. However everyone needs to learn how to handle money whether they are billionaires or live on social assistance (more so if they live on social assistance) so his allowance was a given based on age and how much his peers were receiving. He's 25 now and although he does not make a great deal at his job he's always solvent. And as a teenager he was the only child I knew who still did the dishes every night.

Guest's picture
Danica

My step-dad just bought our pre-schooler a piggy bank. We never paid him before for chores because I don't feel that he should need an incentive. However, I do believe in teaching him how to manage his money wisely and save. So we decided that he'll have three chances a day to get paid. His chores are to put the clean silverware away and to feed the cats in the morning and then at night. We told him that if he could remember to do his chores without us telling him to do so then he would get paid 5 cents for each one. If we had to remind him (after giving him reasonable time to remember) then he would have to do the chore still and not get paid. There are some things that he will never be paid for though such as: putting his toys away after he's finished with them, helping mommy/daddy when we ask, cleaning his room, taking his dishes to the sink and putting his clothes away in the dirty laundry. He needs to learn how to manage/save his very own money and also he needs to learn that he is still a responsible family team member and there are still things that are expected from all of us.

Guest's picture
kelly

I think there should be unpaid chores which are just part of learning to live responsibly and then extras where they can earn spending money.